Mold aligning apparatus



United States Patent [72] Inventors Herbert Fastert Wyckoif; HorstHuber, Westiield, N.J.; Eric T. Vogel, Elmhurst, N.Y. [2i] Appl.No689,992 [22] Filed Dec.12,1967 [45] Patented Dec.29, 1970 [73] AssigneeConcast Incorporated New York. N.Y.

[54] MOLD ALIGNING APPARATUS 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 164/273, 29/271, 29/272 [51] Int. Cl. 322d 11/00 [50] Fieldoi Search 164/82,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,878,880 9/1932 Mooreetal.164/388 3.3131106 4/1967 Barbeetal 164/283 3,381.743 5/1968 Bode 164/283FOREIGN PATENTS 1,066,946 l/l954 France 164/388 Primary Examiner-J.Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorney-Sandoe,Neill, Schottler & Wikstrom 1 MOLD ALIGN ING APPARATUS The presentinvention relates to machines for the continuous casting of metal andspecifically to'apparatus for aligning molds in such machines;

In a usual method of continuous casting, molten metal is poured into thetop of an open ended mold which chills and solidifies'the periphery ofthe metal, and a strand of the partially solidified metal is drawncontinuously from the bottom ducts the strand through a secondarycooling zone and then on to apparatus for cutting it into desiredlengths, or otherwise processing'it. This means is used for continuouslycasting netal in the form of rods, bars, and billets of various shapedand sizes, the cross sectional configuration and dimensions Jeingdetermined by the configuration and size of the mold.

. In known constructions of continuous casting machines, the

mold is supported on a mold table in operative alignment Jetween theoutlet from a tundish, which supplies molten metal to the mold, and thesupporting passageway, which defines the exit path for the strand ofmetal issuing from the mold. The mold is preferably mounted so that itmay be removed and replaced by a new mold or by a mold of a difr'erentsize or configuration. A conventional means of mountmg the mold is tosuspend it through an opening in the table by flanges, or cars,projecting outward from the sides of the mold body and resting on theportions of the table around the pening. The flanges are normallyclamped to the table to hold the mold in position by suitable means,such as bolts-through oversize holes in the table, that permit the moldto be moved around on the table into correct operative alignment withthe outlet of the tundish above and the supporting passageway below,before being clamped to the table.

ln known machines, the mold is set on the table and must then be movedaround on the table until it is in correct operative alignment. Themachine is, of course, out of operation when one mold is being removedand replaced by another, and the time it takes to align the new moldonthe table increases the downtime of the machine. This can be asignificant factor in reducing the output of a casting machine whenmolds must be "replaced at frequent intervals for example, whenproducing a variety of different stock in a sequence of short productionruns, each of which requires a mold of a different The mold aligningapparatus in accordance with this inven- 1 tion comprises at least onepin on the mold table and an element that is supportedon the mold andthat has a hole therein in which the tube pin is received when the moldis placed on the table. The elementis movable on the mold to alternativepositions in a plane at right angles to the axis of the hole therein'sothat the lateral position of the hole may be located to set the mold incorrect operative alignment when the mold is placed on the table withthe pin in the hole. A template, having a feeler portion and an aligningportion joined in fixed relation by a web portion, is adapted tocooperate with the elelocates the proper position to which the elementmust be moved if it is not.

Further objects, advantages and features of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description of an exemplaryembodiment, which is shown in,and described with reference to, theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, showing a mold in placeon the mold table ofa continuous casting machine and illustrating theapplication of the aligning apparatus of this invention for positioningthe mold on the table;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. Sis a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but illustratingthe mold apart from the table and showing the template element of theapparatus in position on the mold for I preadjusting the indexingelement that is on the mold.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in a conventional continuouscasting machine a mole 10, having an open ended mold cavity 11vertically therethrough,,is supported on a mold table 12 for moltenmetal from a supply in a tundish above the mold table to flow from theoutlet of the tundish into the upper end of the mold cavity 11, and fora continuous strand of partially solidified metal to issue from thelower end of the mold 'cavity into a supporting passageway below. Forthe mold to be in correct operative alignment, the center of the upperend of the mold cavity 11 should be substantially in line with thecenter of the flow of molten metal from the tundish outlet and thecenter of the flow of molten metal from the tundish outlet and thecenter of the lower end of the mold cavity shoull be substantially inline with the center of the supporting passageway below. In FIG. 2 ofthe drawings the center of a flow of metal from the tundish outlet isindicated by the arrow 13 and the center of a supporting passageway isindicated by the arrow 14.

The mold 10 is supported through an opening 15 in the table 12 byflanges 16 and 17 extending outward respectively from opposite sides ofthe body of the mold and resting on top surfaces of the table adjacentthe opening 15. The flanges 16 and 17 are suitably clamped on the table12, to fix the mold in position, by bolts 18 that pass through theflanges and extend down through holes 19 in the table. As shown in thelower right comer of FIG. 1, the holes 19 are larger than the shanks 18aof the bolts 18 to permit the mold l0 tobe moved around on the tablesufficiently to be able to align the mold as described above. The lowerends of the bolts 18 extend below the tableand are provided withsuitable washers and nuts (not shown) to be tightened on the bolts forclamping the flanges l6 and 17 to the table when the mold is in thedesired position.

The apparatus of the present invention for positioning the mold 10 incorrect operative alignment on the table 12 includes one or more guidepins 21 projecting upward from the table. As shown, a pair of guidepins2l are spaced apart at one side of the table, and are adapted to bereceived in holes 22 in elements 23 on the mold when the mold is placedon the table and thereby align the mold in a fixed position on thetable.

The elements 23 are mounted to be movable on the mold in a plane atright angles to the axes of the holes 22 in the elements for adjustingthe lateral positions of the holes relative to the mold. Suitablestructure for this mounting, as best seen in FIG. 2, consists of twoflanges 24 extending from a side of the mold in a plane at right anglesto the vertical axis of the mold and supported by braces 25. Each flangehas a ring 26 welded, or otherwise attached, thereon with an aperture 27through the ring coinciding with an opening 28 through the flange. Theopenings 28 are of a smaller diameter than the apertures 27 and areapproximately concentric thereto so as to provide a ledge 29 around eachopening 28. The elements 23, which are suitably rings as shown, haveoutside diameters smaller than the inside diameters of the apertures 27and rest in the apertures. The elements 23 are suitably moved toselected positions within the apertures by setscrews 30 threadedradially through the walls of the rings 26 to engage the outer walls ofthe elements 23 at points spaced around them.

When the mold 10 is placed on the table, it is set down so that theguide pins 21 are received through the openings 28 in the flanges 24 andup through the holes 22 of the elements 23. it will thus be seen,referring to FIG. 1, that the lateral positions of the elements 23within the apertures 27 determine the position of the mold l on thetable 12 and that the position the mold assumes on the table is variedby shifting the lateral positions of the elements 23. The differencesbetween :he inside and outside diameters, respectively, of the apertures27 and-elements 23 are made large enough to permit sufficient lariationin the position assumed by the mold 10 on the table [2 to enable thecenter of the mold cavity 11 to be positioned n operative alignment withthe center, indicated by arrow 13 n FIG. 2, of a flow of molten metalfrom a tundish above the nold and the center, indicated by arrow 14, ofa supporting iassageway below.

A particular feature of the structure of this invention is that hepositions of the elements 23 are adapted to be properly adusted, beforethe mold 10 is placed on the table 12, so that the nold will bepositioned in correct operative alignment when it s subsequently setdown on the table. For this purpose, as .hown in FIG. 3, the apparatusof the invention includes a emplate 32 adapted to cooperate with theabove-described ;tructure of the mold for preadjusting the positions ofthe elenents 23.

Referring to FIG. 3, the template 32 has a feeler arm 33, a pair ofaligning members 34 (one for each element 23 on the mold, only one ofwhich is shown in the drawing) and a web portion 35 between the feelerarm and aligning members to nold them in fixed relation. The feeler arm33 is adapted to embrace or engage points or surfaces on the mold thatwill cause the template 32 to be steadied in a predetermined positionrelative to the mold. For this purpose, the feeler arm 33 is adapted tobe received in the mold cavity 11 with the web portion 35 of thetemplate resting across the top of the mold. The position of thefeelerarm 33 is fixed in one direction by having the width of the web portion35 extend entirely across the width of the mold cavity. To fix itsposition in the direction at right angles to the'first direction, side36 of the arm matches the contour of the sidewall 37' of the mold cavityand the template is moved relative to the mold until the side 36 of thefeeler arm 33 engages and butts against the sidewall 37. When the feelerare 33 is thus seated in the mold cavity 11, the aligning members 34 arelocated over the positions the elements 23 should occupy for properlyaligning the mold.

The aligning members 34 are each constituted by a short tube 38 having abore 39 that has the same inside diameter as the hole 22 through theelement 23. The tubes 38 are mounted on the web 35 so that their axesare in axial alignment respectively with the axes of the holes 22 inelements 23, when the template is seated on the mold and when theelements 23 are each in the correct position of adjustment. If one orboth elements 23 are not in the correct position, their holes 22 willnot coincide with the bores 39. They may then be moved to their correctpositions by turning the setscrews 30 to shift them until their holes 22are in line with the bores 39. This latter alignment is suitably gaugedby a pin 40, the diameter of which approximates the inside diameters ofthe bores 39 and holes 22, but is enough, smaller for the pin 40 to fiteasily into the bores 39 and holes 22. If the hole 22 is not in correctalignment, the pin will not slip into the hole but a lower tapered endportion 41 of the pin will extend part way into the hole. To adjust thealignment of the hole 22, the pin 40 may be left in place; the setscrews30 are then backed off to loosen the element 23 so that the taperedportion 41, wedging against the wall of the hole 22 under the weight ofthe pin, slides the element 23 laterally until the hole 22 is in linefor the shaft ofthe pin to slide down into it. The hole 22 is then incorrect alignment and the shaft of the pin may be left through the hole22 temporarily to hold the element'23 in place while the setscrew 30 aretightened against the periphery of the element. The same procedure isthen applied to the other hole 22 through the other tube 38 (not shown).

each has some portions tiits contour in the same'position,

relative to the center of the r-nold cavity as the other so that thefeeler arm 33, engaging tho se.contour portions will locate the aligningmembers 34 in the:.same position relative to the center of the moldcavity ofeach mold. Otherwise, a different template 32, or a substitutefeeler arm 33, is provided for eachdifferent size or configuration.

The apparatus, shown in drawings and described above, is i an exemplaryembodiment of the invention and it will be understood that somemodifications may be made in the structure and the arrangementrelationship of the elements of this w invention,-

apparatus without departing from the scope of the as defined by thefollowing claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for preadjusting and aligning a ,replaceable I open endedmold for locating it on a mold table of a continuous casting machine inoperative alignment between a supply of molten metal and a predeterminedexit pathfrom the mold,

comprising: a pin projecting from the mold table, an element having ahole therein adapted to receive said pin when the mold is placed on themold table, said element being supported in an aperture in the mold, andmeans for moving said element to alternative positions in a plane atright angles to the axis of the hole therein, thereby to shift thelateral position of the hole for adjusting the position assumedby themold when it is placed on the mold table withsaid pin in the hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said element'is aring supported inthe aperture having an axial hole therethroughy;

and in which said means for moving the ring to said alternativepositions comprises a plurality of setscrew means supported through thewalls of the aperture to engage the ring at points spaced radiallytherearound at right angles to the axis of said hole for shifting thelateral position of the hole by selectively withdrawing and advancingsaid setscrew means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said aperture is provided by afirst ring having a circular hole therethrough and said element is asecond ring having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameterof the hole through the first ring.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least a pair of pins spacedapart on the mold table, a pair of said elements adapted to cooperatewith the pins for aligning the mold on the mold table, and means foradjusting the positions of said elements transversely relative to theaxes of said holes therein.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 and in combination a template adapted to betemporarily mounted in a fixed relative position on the mold, when themold is off the table, for preadjusting the position of the secondaligning means so that the mold will be in said operative alignment whenthe mold is placed on the mold table said template having a feelerportion adapted to engage a contour of the mold and an aligning portionindicating a desired position of adjustment of the second aligning meanswhen the feeler portion engages said mold contour, said aligning portionof the template comprising a web portion projecting over said element onthe mold when the feeler portion of the template engages said contour ofthe mold, and said web portion having a hole therethrough dimensionedand positioned to coincide with the hole in said element if the elementis in position for positioning the mold in operative alignment on thesupport when the mold is placed on 'the moldf table with said pinthereon received in said hole in the element.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the hole through the web portion ofthe template is a bore arranged to be in axial alignment with the holein said element when the element is in ment, if the bore and hole areaxially aligned, for gauging the alignment of said hole.

